4BETTER OR WORSE: The week in review

Worst test for a "no-kill" shelter: The SPCA is ordered to euthanize a gray fox allegedly terrorizing UVA September 2 so it can be tested for rabies.

Worst blow to literacy: Virginia's Department of Corrections shuts down a 20-year-old program that send books to inmates because one book accidentally was mailed with a paper clip and another had a CD, Bryan McKenzie reports in the Daily Progress. Books Behind Bars operates out of Quest Bookshop and fills individual inmate requests for books, typically dictionaries, and has provided books for 11,000 inmates.

Diciest resolution: Charlottesville City Council considers a request September 8 to protect public employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity to be forwarded to the homophobic-voting General Assembly.

Latest Landmark Hotel suit: Bat Masonry Contractor files a complaint against Minor Family Hotels LLC and others in Charlottesville Circuit Court seeking enforcement of a $124,005.50 mechanic's lien, according to Tasha Kates in the Progress. So far, Clancy & Theys Construction Comapny has filed a $2.6 million suit and seven other subcontractors have filed mechanic's liens. Owner Halsey Minor is being sued by and is countersuing Specialty Finance Group, and ousted project developer Lee Danielson is being sued by and countersuing Minor.

Least professional: Massage therapist Robert John McMurray, 38, pleads guilty September 2 to taking indecent liberties with a 16-year-old babysitter when he tries to massage her genital area.

Most checkpointing: Albemarle police target Miller School Road September 3, stop 124 cars, and issue 11 tickets for safety and registration violations in two hours. County cops set up another checkpoint August 29 between 10:30pm and 1am on U.S. 250 at Western Albemarle High and snare three people driving under the influence and five other violators out of the 190 vehicles stopped. Armed with a recent $60K federal grant, travelers in the county can expect more roadblocks.

Most panicked: Suspended parole officer Rachel Ann Rossman claims this in court September 3 about her leaving the scene after crashing into a police cruiser at Avon Street and Monticello Avenue around 9:55pm July 20. She faces a felony count of failure to stop at an accident involving property damage, according to another Kates story.

Most liked by realtors: Republican Albemarle County supervisor candidate Rodney Thomas gets the nod from Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors over their pick in the last election, incumbent David Slutzky. Republican Duane Snow in the Samuel Miller District can expect contributions from CAAR, as can City Council candidates Mayor Dave Norris and Kristen Szakos, according to new Progress partner Charlottesville Tomorrow.

Most like sex ed: Local school systems allow parents to opt out of having their children hear President Barack Obama's speech about the importance of education because of concerns that his message may be political.

Latest Republican challenger to Congressman Tom Perriello: Albemarle real estate investor Laurence Verga becomes the third to toss his hat into the race, along with Fluvanna biology teacher Feda Kidd Morton and Beford county assembly line worker Bradley Rees.

Stupidest alleged credit card thief: Fannie Ophelia Henson, 46, is arrested for credit card theft August 29 after a card in a lost wallet is used to make almost $400 in purchases at the Emmet Street Kroger and Henson allegedly uses her discount card to save a little.

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1 comment

Danielson_Is_God September 15th, 2009 | 3:04pm

We NEED Danielson to come back to Charlottesville, rejoin Farmington and make everything all right just like he did with Collin Rolhf. Hold on. Wait a minute. That ended in lawsuits, still empty buildings, bankrupt businesses and subcontractors and Danielson scorching as much earth as one hard drinking man can do.

It does not take a lot of research (you listening theHook) to figure out that the Merrill Loan collateral is still in place. What these ignorant journalists read but didn’t tell you in the suit is that Merrill swept Mr Minors account and put a $999,999,999.99 hold on his account several days before ML sold themselves to BofA and 3 MONTHS BEFORE HIS LOAN WAS DUE.

I would love to know more about the the Hook’s legal analyst David Heilberg. He came from CNN right? Exactly what year did he flunk out of law school and take the prestigious position of Legal Analyst for the Hook. He must be stoked.

Basically, everyone in Charlottesville who isn’t an a__hole is hoping and praying Minor finally sues you so we can finally stop ourselves from reading your degenerate rag. Your like crack and you need to be flushed down the toilet so that a better, cleaner reformed Charlottesville can go on.